


I'm Not Going Anywhere

by One_Small_Writer



Category: Rent (2005), Rent - Larson
Genre: Canon-Typical themes, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 14:27:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26350393
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/One_Small_Writer/pseuds/One_Small_Writer
Summary: Roger wakes up after a nightmare of the dreaded Christmas Eve. Mimi comforts him.
Relationships: Roger Davis/Mimi Marquez
Kudos: 8





	I'm Not Going Anywhere

Roger had been through some shit. That was a fact of his life. 

Since becoming an adult and moving into the loft he’d been through more than most people ever would. He’d battled addiction, found his girlfriend floating dead in the bathtub, been diagnosed with HIV, been evicted by a previous friend, had a friend die of AIDS, ran away only to come back and have another girlfriend, the love of his life, die (In his arms, nonetheless).

Yeah, Roger had been through some shit.

Even still, there was one that affected him more than the others (Maybe two, if you count the AIDS diagnosis. He couldn’t do anything about that no matter how hard he tried). Watching Mimi die.

Yes, he’d had a girlfriend die before and it’d affected him greatly, and yes, Mimi ended up surviving and was now was healthy as she could be, but as long as he lived he’ll never get over that night.

That damn Christmas Eve.

He’ll never forget watching the life drain away from her tiny body, the violent, hacking coughs and shivers taking over. He’ll never forget her last gasped “I love you,” as her eyes shut for what everyone assumed to be the last time. He’ll especially never forget the pain in his chest and the silence in the room as her breaths ceased and those few painful minutes of her death until her gasped coughs brought her back, brought them all back.

It was that damn Christmas Eve that haunted his nightmares almost every night.

Roger was no stranger to nightmares, another sad fact of his life was that he was used to waking up in the middle of the night, sweating like a pig and screaming and crying. The whole nightmare event was something he'd grown custom to. It started when April died, it got worse with the withdrawal. They stopped for a while, before Angel and watching Mimi going through her own withdrawal but they were soon back, and they were back with a vengeance.

This particular night was no different.

It started as quiet mumbling and the occasional head turn. Not much, but enough to wake Mimi, who was an incredibly light sleeper. She pushed herself into a sitting position, bringing her hand up to stroke his long hair. She didn’t want to wake him just yet, Lord knows he desperately needed sleep, but she kept a watchful eye over him (just in case). She hoped tonight wasn’t going to be one of the bad nights where he’d wake up screaming and unable to go back to sleep.

She’d soon learn that it was one of those nights.

Noticing he hadn’t moved in a while, Mimi got up and went to the kitchen in search of some form of caffeinated drink, knowing no matter what happened she was going to be up for the rest of the night.

Just as the kettle clicked over, she heard Roger’s scream come from the direction of their bedroom. Mimi sighed, cursing, before running through the loft back to where they slept.

Roger was twisting and turning in the now tangled sheets, screaming out almost ineligible sentences, though Mimi could make out her name in between the words she couldn’t understand.

She walked over, cautiously but quickly, and placed her hands on his shoulders lightly, shaking him. “Rog, baby, wake up. It’s okay, we’re okay,” She cooed, her voice soft but firm.

“Mimi, no, please! Don’t go! Don’t leave me here alone, please!” He cried out.

Mimi willed back tears, it pained her knowing all his bad dreams were now about her, but crying wasn’t going to help him. There wasn’t time for her tears too.

Still, guilt panged in her stomach and she bit her lip. This was all her fault.

“Roger!” She yelled, shaking him harder. She moved so she wasn’t standing over him, reoccupying the space on the bed she left. “Baby, wake up!” She shook once more and finally he awoke, a loud, startled gasp escaping his lips as he sat bolt upright, eyes darting around the room frantically.

“Meems, Mimi!” He screamed, eyes moving too fast to see her, “Baby, where are you?”

“I’m here, I’m right here. I’m right here baby, I’m not going anywhere,” She reassured him softly.

Finally, his eyes set on her and instantly fat tears started rolling down his cheeks. “Meems...” He cried, a hint of relief in his voice, and in one quick movement, he took her into his arms, squeezing her like a teddy bear and sobbing into her hair.

“Shhh, you’re okay. It’s okay, I’m okay, you’re okay. It’s all okay. I’m not going anywhere. Take a deep breath,” She soothed, her hands running through his hair again.

They sat in the position for a while, Mimi clutched in Roger’s arms and on his lap with his face buried in her hair as she stroked his until his chest finally stopped heaving and he leaned back to lie down again, keeping Mimi close.

“I’m sorry Rog, I’m so sorry this is happening to you,” Mimi whispered. Roger’s arms tightened around her.

“It’s not your fault,” He breathed.

“Well, it sorta is…”   


“Meems, it’s not. Please don’t blame yourself, please!” He said, his voice cracking. He was well aware of the effect his nightmares had on her too. He saw the guilt in her eyes and he’d heard her crying when she thought he’d fallen back asleep. He wanted nothing more than for her to understand he didn’t blame her, that he’d never blame her.

Mimi nodded, biting her lip again. “Do you wanna talk about it or anything?”

“No point. It was the same nightmare as it always is,” Roger shook his head, his heart rate picking back up again. Mimi noticed and squeezed him, leaning up to kiss his jaw.

“Keep taking breaths, you’re doing great, baby.”

Roger nodded, smiling down at her gratefully. “What would I do without you?”

“I don’t know. What do you wanna do? Try to go back to sleep or stay up?”

“There’s no way I’m falling back asleep, I’ll stay up. You should go back to sleep though, I know for a fact you didn’t get any last night, even after I told you to.”

Mimi looked up at him guiltily. “I wasn’t tired,” She lied.

“Bullshit.” He scoffed.

“So,” Mimi said before he could say anything else, “We’re staying up tonight then?”

“I am, you’re not.”

“Roger, honey, I don’t want to leave you sitting here by yourself, I’ll stay up too.”

“You don’t have to, I can manage on my own,” He protested.

“I know you can, but I want to stay up too, okay?” She fought back.

Roger softened. “Okay, if you insist. I love you.”

Mimi hummed happily, snuggling deeper into his arms. “I love you too.”

The two of them stayed awake until the sun came up, talking, kissing, and never once leaving each other’s arms.

**Author's Note:**

> Rent was the first fandom I ever wrote fic for, so I'm really going back to my roots for this one! I've missed writing these two so much.


End file.
